"What's that he sez ?" "Nothin' but children's gassin'," he answered, meeting her eyes with an evil consciousness half loutish, half defiant, "and ef it war true, it would only sarve Hiram McKinstry right." She laid her hand upon his shoulder with swift suspicion.

"Out o' my way, Seth Davis," she said suddenly, pushing him aside.

"Ef this ez any underhanded work of yours, you'll pay for it." She strode past him in the direction of Johnny, but at the approach of the tall woman with the angry eyes, the boy flew.

She hesitated a moment, turned again with a threatening wave of the hand to Seth, and started off rapidly in the direction of the boundary.
She had not placed so much faith in the boy's story as in the vague revelation of evil in Davis's manner.

If there was any "cussedness" afoot, Seth, convinced of Cressy's unfaithfulness, and with no further hope of any mediation from the parents, would know it.